


Caligo Era

by dualcolours



Category: Original Work
Genre: Especially for my own work, I'm Bad At Tagging
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-18
Updated: 2017-07-18
Packaged: 2018-12-03 22:14:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11541486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dualcolours/pseuds/dualcolours
Summary: https://caligo-s.tumblr.com/ is the tumblr with some of the characters, the world building's still a huge WIP thoughthere are going to be more characters, but the start is just kind of slow because since it's not in an already established world people would know of





	Caligo Era

Thunder boomed, and the power flickered. Guards grumbled at having to reset all the clocks, scientists breathed either relief or frustration depending on how risky they'd been with saving their work. In the top levels, the younger subjects cried out for comfort which the older ones gave readily, used to the seasonal storms that came and went.

 

In the lower levels, it was nearly dead silent. Most of the subjects remained in a sedated haze, with the exception of a mere handful of them. One watched the flickering lights with a blank gaze, another with growing eagerness, and a third hid in the corner of his cell with his hands over his ears. The charge in the air that came with these storms seemed particularly brutal, making the nanomachines in his blood practically buzz in irritation.

 

Another crash of thunder, and the lights went out. The young boy hiding let out a scream as everything was plunged into darkness for several moments before the unnerving red emergency lights lit up the halls.

 

Sirens blared, guards became alert, and electronic cell locks disengaged. The reaction wasn't immediate, a few brave and suddenly awake subjects peeked out and upwards towards the always vigilant security cameras, noticing the absence of a bright red light. They glanced down the halls, listening in between the booms of thunder for the thudding of booted feet, noticing the lack of those as well. One stepped out further than the others, cautiously at first, but with growing confidence as others followed lead.

 

The boy recognized her immediately as the one the guards would always complain about the most. The scientists who took him to the upper floors for testing would occasionally lament the loss of such a valuable subject to the lower floors, while others would insist it was better for what her experiment goals were. He didn't recognize any of the others who followed after her, but found himself joining them.

 

At first, everyone was moving slowly, cautiously even. But as the moments passed, and the group got further away from the cells, they realized that no one was coming to get them. The realization started at the front, with some particularly loud kid shouting that the guard station of the lower floor was empty. Suddenly, everyone rushed forward, and the boy found himself having lost sight of the girl he had been following.

 

The halls were practically empty after just a few moments, save a few still woozy subjects still hanging back. He hesitated before he walked forward, heading down a hall with a sign depicting a staircase on it, and joined a few others making their way up. He nearly followed them outside as well, but a quick look down down another hall caught him a glance of the back of the girl he was originally following.

 

Unlike the others, she seemed to be heading further into the facility, and she seemed to move with purpose unlike the unsure pauses of the others as they sought their escape. His curiosity overpowered his urge to escape- after all, he reasoned, it would be better to go with someone who seemed to know where they were going instead of those unsure.

 

So he followed, lagging behind at times in case she wouldn't be pleased to have a tail. Several turns in, and he lost her for a few moments, but it didn’t last long. He turned a corner in a hurry to try and catch up, and runs into her. The gown-like outfit they all wore was soaked in blood, and the door behind her was wide open.

 

She grabbed his arm and demanded that he not look, but her orders came seconds too late. He'd already looked inside, and his eyes were wide in fear.

 

Inside was a bloodbath. A guard was slumped against the wall, a bloody hole in his head and blank eyes stared into nothing. Another body, a scientist this time judging by the lab-coat, lay on the ground with his arms outstretched before he died as well. Unlike the guard however, his death didn't seem as plain. His back looked torn open, blood soaking the formerly white coat into a sickening red. Laying a few feet away was what he could only assume it was the spine, given the placement of the gaping wound.

 

He met the eyes of the girl in front of him, and she met his. Her arms were crossed, and she stared back at him, gaze steady.

 

“I don't have anything to hide. My only reasoning for not wanting you to look is that it's pretty nasty.”

 

The boy nodded, staying quiet. She glanced over him, and spoke again, “I'm leaving with my mistakes. We found some boat or something. You're welcome to come with us if you want, and if you don't, that's your business.”

 

The last part was said as she passed by him, and he turned and picked up the pace for a few moments to catch up.

 

“I'll come, I'll come,” he responded, trying to keep up with her brisk pace. She nodded, and he added, “Um, I-I'm Pause.”

 

She stopped suddenly, and eyed him for a moment, studying him intently. She looked about as old as he was, and he was barely fourteen, but something about how she glanced up and down as she looked over him makes him worry. Suddenly she gave him a grin, toothy and bloody, and replied, “You can call me Berserk I guess, but I'm picking a new name soon. Pause isn't much of a name, either, is it?”

 

She picked up the pace again, and Pause found himself once again trying to keep up. The brisk pace stayed the same until they exited through a door, and are greeted with pouring rain, and Pause is reminded that there's a terrible storm going on.

 

“H-Hey, wait!” He hesitated at the door and she turned to raise an eyebrow at him.

 

“W-What are we gonna do about the rain? And the upper level subjects?” He asked, worried about the state of the ocean as well as suddenly remembering the others within the facility. Berserk looked irritated for a moment, and Pause was worried he'd made her angry before she sighed.

 

“Don't worry about the weather, we're waiting for a bit to let the storm pass. One of my friends over by the boat says that it's probably almost over judging by the weather radar thing.” She stopped for a moment after that, seemingly gathering herself, and when she spoke again her tone was too steady.

 

“For the upper level subjects, they can deal with themselves. Us lower floor kids have never mattered to them, and as far as I really care, I don't.” Once again, she met his eyes steadily, not a hint of hesitation in them. Pause swallowed and nodded.

 

“Come on then, I'll introduce you to the others.” She spoke up again, grabbing him by the hand and leading him out into the rain and towards the docks. A small group waited there, a blank-eyed guard with them, and Pause felt his steps slow. Berserk looked back reassuringly, and pulled him onward.

 

“Pause, this is my group of mistakes. Manip is over there with the guard,” One waves as she was pointed at, smiling widely, “Percy's the one with the wings,” Percy glances up for a moment before studying his wet feet again, “Sage is the one eying you up like she's gonna gut you, and Synth's in the boat looking at the tech-y stuff.” Berserk finishes up the introductions, pointing out a third figure who did in fact look like she wanted to gut him before pointing at the boat.

 

Pause waved back at the one who did seem friendly, before glancing uncertainly at Berserk who seemed perfectly comfortable with the few in front of her. She caught on, and patted him on shoulder, “Hey, why don't you hop on the boat and sleep or something? Percy, you and Sage should go too, Manip, I'll stay awake with you and Mr. Blank-eyed Bastard.” Her suggestion to him quickly became orders to the others, something they seemed to follow easily.

 

Percy hurried in, Pause following after, and Sage taking up the back. Synth, the last person to be introduced, ignored their presence as they got comfortable on the ground. Percy quickly laid claim to a corner, curling in on himself and closing his eyes. Pause glanced over at Sage and Synth before mimicking Percy, trying to at least doze off. Instead, his mind wandered.

 

In the course of what seemed to be just a few hours, he'd gone from dreading the next days session to trying to hide from the storm to trying to escape to being picked up by some other kid who was maybe nice, but also definitely brutally killed that scientist. He sighed, pulling his legs closer, and squeezing his eyes shut.

 

The sudden surge of activity had nearly made him forget about the uncomfortable buzzing of the nano-machines, but as he settled now, he was quickly reminded of the awful buzzing he’d almost managed to forget about. He shifted position several times trying to get comfortable, startled when a hand grasped his shoulder suddenly. Sage knelt beside him, one hand on his shoulder and the other offering him a pair of white tablets.

 

“Sleeping medication. We took it out of the break room where we got the guard. I have some water to take it with as well, if you want it.”

 

Her voice was quiet and cool, and seemed believable. Still, Pause hesitated a moment, and Sage hmmed thoughtfully, “Here, I'll take one as well,” Sage spoke, lifting her hand off his shoulder to pop one of the tablets in her mouth and swallow it dry.

 

“If you're fine with our self-proclaimed leader, you're fine with us. You have nothing to worry about from me.” She murmured, placing the tablet onto the water bottle before turning away, leaning against the wall and closing her own eyes.

 

Pause eyed her and then the water bottle and tablet, uncapping the water bottle and quickly swallowing the tablet himself before leaning back against the wall.  It must have been a strong dose, because it didn't take long to work, his head and limbs becoming heavy as he grew drowsy. He closed his eyes, tucking his arms into the wet gown for warmth, and finally dozing off. He was startled awake several hours later by a loud whoop and a loud rumble from the boat as it began to move. Daylight shone through the window at the front of the little control room, showing a clear sky.

 

Sage and Percy still slept even as the boat bumped and rocked with the waves as it left the island behind. Berserk stood beside Synth and Manip, turning once she heard him yawn. Pause looked up at her, and she smiled down at him before sitting cross-legged in front of him.

 

“So you really wanna come with us, huh?” She asked, and he nodded, “Even though you saw what I did? Alright, that’s pretty cool. Welcome to the group, officially at least. Now scoot over, I’m tired, and I want to sleep.”

 

Berserk settled beside him, already closing her eyes, “You can go back to sleep too if you want.” Pause flicked his gaze from her to the pair who were driving the boat, and realized the guard was missing.

 

“What? Oh - don’t worry about that, Sage took care of him.” Berserk yawned when he asked, not even opening her eyes as she answered. Pause looked over at Sage, unsure of what that implied, and decided he was maybe better off not knowing.

 

Instead, he followed Berserk’s lead once more, and closed his eyes, letting his thoughts drift off. He imagined them all in a couple years, probably having chosen different names or something, doing whatever Berserk had planned. He wondered what would happen to everyone left behind, feeling a pang of guilt that he didn’t protest more to leaving them.

 

Berserk had a point though - the higher floors didn’t really care much about the lower floors, so why should they care about them? Who said they had to be the bigger people? He frowned, and Berserk jabbed him in the side with her elbow.

 

“Hey, cranky. Stop overthinking whatever you’re thinking about. Go back to sleep or something.” She commanded, and Pause stuck out his tongue at her. He was still kind of tired though - that tablet really was strong if he was still feeling it, and drifted off again, letting the rumble of the boat lull him back down.

**Author's Note:**

> https://caligo-s.tumblr.com/ is the tumblr with some of the characters, the world building's still a huge WIP though  
> there are going to be more characters, but the start is just kind of slow because since it's not in an already established world people would know of


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